I’ll be the first to admit that until this weekend I had only known of Amy Winehouse by her bad girl behavior. When I got word of her death, I remember thinking, “in other news, the sun rose this morning in the east.” That was unkind and a more than a bit flip. Not because the fact don’t fit the analogy, but because I knew on some level that I was judging what I didn’t know.
That became abundantly clear to me when I read Tony Bennett’s comment about her death after recording with her on his forthcoming Duets II:
“Amy Winehouse was an artist of immense proportions, and I am deeply saddened to learn of her tragic passing,” Bennett said. “She was an extraordinary musician with a rare intuition as a vocalist, and I am truly devastated that her exceptional talent has come to such an early end. She was a lovely and intelligent person, and when we recorded together she gave a soulful and extraordinary performance. I was honored to have the opportunity to sing with her. It had been my sincere hope that she would be able to overcome the issues she was battling and I send my deepest sympathy to her father Mitchell, her entire family and all of those who loved her.”
For me, Tony Bennett has always been about fairness, class and compassion. As the news continued to emerge about Amy Winehouse and her talents, I did what I should have done from the very beginning, I listened to her music.
Just as her near-contemporary, Adele, Winehouse was a powerhouse with a sense of American R&B mixed with her own particular talent and genius that was stunning to me. What set her apart from so many others was her voice to be sure, but also the emotional impact and raw honesty that her writing and lyrics conveyed.
To hear and really listen to the words of her recording of the year for 2008 Rehab, one can hear the depression, and hopelessness that accompanies addiction in these lines;
I don’t ever wanna drink again
I just, ooh, I just need a friend
I’m not gonna spend ten weeks
Have everyone think I’m on the mend
And it’s not just my pride
It’s just ’til these tears have dried
Tony Bennett, Russell Brand and others used the word ‘genius’ to describe Amy Winehouse and her work. As I reflected on the demons that she clearly could not shake, I was struck by the work of Ray Charles, another master who was tormented by substance abuse.
Ray Charles’ last album, released posthumously was aptly entitled Genius Loves Company. Which was, ironically, a series of duets with unlikely collaborators with some measure of genius in their own right.
It seems as though in the midst of what so many saw as Amy Winehouse’s obvious and tragic decline, she was keenly aware in the previously mentioned lyrics form Rehab that she needed friendship and some company. I do hope she will find the peace in death that she so desperately seemed to seek in this life.
Here’s a stripped down version of Amy Winehouse’s Rehab. Before watching it I’d ask you to consider this prayer as one for all those who struggle with addiction and who’s names we’ll never know. They, indeed all of us, need friends more than we’ll ever know. And, if we’re honest, we’re all addicted to one thing or another.
Blessed Lord, you ministered to all who came to you: Look with compassion upon all who through addiction have lost their health and freedom. Restore to them the assurance of your unfailing mercy; remove from them the fears that beset them; strengthen them in the work of their recovery; and to those who care for them, give patient understanding and persevering love. Amen. (from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979)
I took my 16 year old to see Harry Potter 7b this past Saturday like the dutiful father that I am. I thought the film was a fitting conclusion to Rowling’s work, but that’s not what has stuck with me most during the past week.
The theatrical trailer for the film Immortals had just ended when a voice from behind me (sounding to be about 6-9 years old) said, “I’m confused dad, which one is the good guy?”
I must admit I was stunned by the statement and I thought that is an apt description of much of the world about us and has implications when taken in light of this past Sunday’s Gospel from Matthew (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) about the wheat and the tares.
It seems to me that we live in a world in which the distinctions between good and evil can be a bit ambiguous. When we read and hear Jesus parable in light of Paul’s ongoing apologetic about justification by grace through faith in Romans we can learn to trust the time and the seasons to the discernment of God and God’s angels.
It seems to me that we can become preoccupied with looking for evil behind every tree or under every rock and forget the climax of Paul’s argument in Romans 8:28, in that goodness can be worked through all things if we remember that our primary work is not to seek out and identify evil, but to love God and neighbor. It’s a charge that is a central to a Christian understanding of our primary work in the world as it was to the children of Israel as summarized in the Shema of Deuteronomy 4:6-9.
No question that evil exists. No question evil needs to be confronted and named. No question that God is invested in the ultimate and complete defeat of evil. However, the last thing, it seems to me, that God needs is a group of confused people who will not discern before they act.
Maybe the ambiguity between good and evil is part of the marketing plan of the producers if Immortals. One thing is for sure. The forces of evil thrive on confusion and hasty action. Our primary duty is one of love and learning to trust that God will sort out the wheat and the tares in kairos, or God’s time.
Next week is one of my very favorite weeks in the calendar of St. Luke’s. Next week is Summer Celebration. Summer Celebration is our version of Vacation Bible School.
When I was called to St. Luke’s five years ago, I made a special effort to be here for this week. I’m glad I did. This year our theme, thanks to the good folks at Group Publishing, is PANDAMANIA; WHERE GOD IS WILD ABOUT YOU!
One of my very favorite parts of the week is to watch the enthusiasm of young people for the promises of God and the way in which they learn to care for one another. Since I’ve been here for this many years I’ve had the good fortune to watch campers become crew leaders and really give back what they’ve received over the years.
Karen Ward, formerly the pastor of the Church of the Apostles in Seattle a joint effort of the Episcopal and Lutheran Churches, has focused much of her ministry on reaching those without a faith background. She and Holy Apostles set a goal that they seek to help folks make the transition from being guests to becoming hosts in a community of faith.
That’s just what Summer Celebration is here at St. Luke’s.
Sustaining enthusiasm is difficult, but it needn’t be so seemingly hard that we don’t even try. My hope is that the Holy Spirit continues to turn guests into hosts, one generation at a time and in so doing the face of the Church will be renewed yet again.
Here’s to Summer Celebration here and Vacation Bible Schools all across our Churches!
If we are to see as God sees, we must first become mirrors of “what is,” what is right in front of us. We must become a “no-thing” so that we can receive some-thing else as it is. Transformation of consciousness is this: We must be liberated from ourselves as the reference point for reality, stating our preferences moment by moment and making mental commentaries on every event—up or down. It really does not matter whether we like it or not—it just is. A spiritually transformed person stops looking at reality as an object, or even God as an object for my consumption. God becomes the co-seer with us, not the seen. Can you imagine that?
We really need to be saved from the tyranny of our own judgments, opinions and feelings about everything, the “undisciplined squads of emotions” that T. S. Eliot criticizes in his poetry. Our ego chooses to objectify everybody and everything else in the world—including God. God is never an object but always the one who sees with us. As Meister Eckhart put it, “The eyes with which we look back at God are the very same eyes with which God first looked at us.” That rearranges everything rather nicely.
